Windows 10 clean install - unable to locate disk for installation

[RoryWebber]

Hi,

My windows installation has become very corrupted after something went awry in the recent 2004 update. I can access windows and login. The start button is unresponsive, and even trying to open the Desktop Settings throws an error that no application can be found to execute the action.

I can browse the C: but cannot run any applications from there either. Search also does not respond.

Going through Recovery Mode and none of the repair or reset functions are able to run. I can run command line from Explorer, but cannot run chkdsk or sfc.

I'm thinking I need to do a complete clean re-install (unless anyone here has any other suggestions), but even that is failing (booting from WIn 10 disk) as that cannot find any harddrive to install too.

Any thoughts? With everything as it is at the moment this is the pc my kids use for homeschooling, so I really need to get this working properly.

Thanks,

Rory

Rory.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Your PC's model series seems to be supported by the HP cloud recovery tool.

Using another Windows PC and a 32 GB USB flash drive, you can use the cloud recovery tool to create a bootable USB drive that will reinstall W10, the drivers and the software that originally came with the PC.

Here is an info link for how to use that utility.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06162205

If Windows can't find a hard drive to install on, run the hard drive diagnostics test to make sure the drive is good.

[RoryWebber]

That worked a treat - thanks Paul!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Rory.

[ImmerBlau]

Thanks for the recommendation!
Had the same issue